On April 25, 2013, a special exhibition on the “Golden Century” of Dutch art and culture was opened at the "Grote Kerk" (Big Church) of the Hague. The highlight is a perfect reproduction of the famous Orange Hall as textile digital print. Put in the limelight in an innovative way by the company Van Iwaarden Artwork, the entire hall replica was produced on HEYTex soft blueback.

In the Netherlands, the 17th century is called the “Golden Century”. Owing to its colonies, the country was rich and wealthy, art and culture experienced a golden age. An impressive exhibition at the “Grote Kerk” in the Hague was dedicated to this significant heritage (April 25 to August 28, 2013).

The highlight of the exhibition is a replica of the world famous Orange Hall produced on digital textile print. With its wall paintings created by all major (Dutch) painters of that age, which is unique in the world, as well as its ceiling arches and vaults, it counts amongst the main oeuvres of its time. The original of the period around 1650 is found at the Paleis Huis ten Bosch, the residence of the Dutch kings and queens.

A very particular challenge

The order for the execution of this extraordinary project by the design and digital print specialists of Van Iwaarden Artwork came from Barneveld. At first, during several weeks of work, they had to put together the complete hall from 13-year-old photos and some new pictures, accurate in every detail, with matching colors and in the right perspective. Only after that, the printing process for the 1:1-replica could be initiated.

Subsequently, the individual prints had to be placed on frames for manual repainting of the golden applications of the original and other details on the digital print. This revolutionary combination of modern digital print technique and classic painting was to give this oeuvre a unique quality.

The best medium for optimal results

Following comprehensive tests with many different media, print systems and ink technologies, Van Iwaarden – in direct collaboration with the exhibition managers – decided to use the combination of UV and latex print on the new HEYTex soft blueback.

This up to 5 m wide indoor banner material, which was launched at the end of 2012, comes with a the blue back which allows for the reproduction of brilliant white color, which previously was not possible in this market. color reproduction, too, experiences a new quality due to this material. The elegant, matt stamped surface with its light textile structure adds an exquisite note to the prints. With a tear resistance of 1500/1200 N/5cm and its high scratch resistance and dimensional stability, this product combines excellent reproduc-tion properties with a high degree of durability and robustness.

“With its even and fine surface and the incredibly brilliant color reproduction without any unwanted shadowing and reflections, the soft blueback by Heytex achieved by far the best test results. It is true that the subsequent artistic painting work of diverse applica-tions and details turned out somehow more difficult because of that, but the overall result was highly appreciated by all parties involved,” Jan Van Iwaarden summarised the decision in favour of HEYTex soft blueback. He also pointed out that especially the high stress resistance of the banner material had considerably facilitated the act of placing the material onto up to 7x5 x 7,5 meter large frames. All in all, about 1000 square meters of HEYTex soft blueback were used for this project.

The Dutch Queen herself did not want to miss the opportunity of opening the exhibition at the “Grote Kerk” on April 25. “In the run-up I had claimed that our replica had become even more beautiful than the original Orange Hall. Queen Beatrice took note of this with a wry smile,” Jan Van Iwaarden remembers.